In a chemically hazardous environment, it is often necessary for an individual wearing a protective mask e.g. a face mask or a gas mask, to drink from a canteen or other closed liquid storage container without necessitating removal of the protective mask or contamination of the liquid. In the past, there have been many different devices designed for the transfer of fluids from a closed vessel, such as a canteen, to an individual wearing a protective mask.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,650 a canteen is provided with a drinking straw extending through the top of the screw cap of the canteen. The straw may be pushed substantially completely into the canteen when the straw is not used or it may be withdrawn from the canteen to a substantial length such that one may drink from the canteen without removing it, for example, from a belt. The screw cap and canteen neck are provided with cooperating elements which pinch the straw closed in the closed position of the cap. This fluid transfer design does not prevent contamination of the liquid or individual, when the individual drinks from the canteen in a contaminated environment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,717 there is disclosed a canteen for use with a gas mask that permits drinking and resuscitation while wearing the mask in a contaminated atmosphere. Communication between the interior of the mask and the interior of the canteen is established by means of a single tube, which is connected to the mask on one side, and to a connection member for connecting to a drinking or resuscitation connection member, on the other side. To enable drinking without removing the mask from the wearer's face, the canteen is provided with a cap having a quick disconnect coupling. Although this patent discloses a useful working embodiment, it is complicated and requires specialized components for dispensing fluid without contamination of the fluid. This device has a number of inherent disadvantages. Primarily, the disadvantages are related to the excessive number of parts, which increases the susceptibility of the system to damage. For example, each of the many components within the system is subject to varying degrees of material fatigue or failure, and consequently the system has a multitude of `weak spots` inherent in the construction. The spring, which is essential to the device, is a particularly defective component. Furthermore, the device is mounted to the outside of the canteen, thus increasing the probability of damage in the event the canteen is dropped or bumped. Many of the components within the device are constructed from metal, which can deform when exposed to extensive stress, and which is frequently subject to corrosion i.e., rust. Moreover, the manufacturing cost of this device is high, primarily due to the time consuming assembly, but also due to the intricacy of the specialized parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,048 discloses a liquid transfer device comprising a pair of parallel fluid flow paths, within a single tube, which respectively include oppositely directed check valves. The parallel flow paths merge at the opposite ends of the tube assembly to form common flow paths. One or both of the common flow path defining ends of the tube assembly can be equipped with quick disconnect type fittings which cooperate with complementary fittings on the storage container and/or the protective mask. The advantages of this liquid transfer device include being able to drink from the canteen without raising the canteen to the level of the mask, and the fact that no vacuum is created in the canteen when the wearer is drinking. The disadvantages are similar to the disadvantages of the single tube fluid transfer device discussed above, but also include the disadvantages associated with the complexity of additional check valves within the parallel fluid flow paths.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,785 there is disclosed a device associated with a gas mask suitable for introducing liquid substances to the user of the mask. The liquid substances are contained in a container provided with a penetrating or syringe-shaped nozzle. The device comprises a tubular conduit inside the mask having at least one elbow portion elastically deformable from a first idle position to a second position at or adjacent to the user's mouth and vice versa, respectively, when the penetrating nozzle is introduced inside the conduit through the entire elbow position and withdrawn from the same elbow portion. This device is intended to replace conventional couplings, and hence is not for use with commercially available canteens and gas masks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,594 discloses a liquid storage and delivery system for use with protective masks having hand-operable bulb siphon pumps in line with conduits extending from a canteen assembly to the drinking mouthpiece of the protective mask. The system includes structure to allow a user to drink directly from a central storage/dispensing reservoir by connecting the conduits directly thereto, and also allows the canteen assembly to be refilled from the reservoir while maintaining the system's protective integrity. The bulb-type siphon pump is formed of a rubber or rubber-like material, which is susceptible to material fatigue or failure. The extensive amount of tubing increases the risk of accidental disengagement. Overall, the design and multitude of components are quite complicated.
Other protective masks designed to meet emergency situations include the purification or filtration of the drinking water. These designs are useful when the liquid itself is suspected of containing contaminating material, but in general are very complicated, and are not well suited for economical mass use.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,550 there is disclosed a water purifying system which includes an elongate chambered purifying assembly sized to be detachably mounted in a conventional canteen. The assembly is provided with an internal chamber filled with a particulate water purifying material and concentric tubes within the chamber require water flowing into the chamber through a filtered inlet at the bottom of the assembly to flow an extended chambered flow path through the purifying material to an outlet at the top of the assembly. The assembly includes a manually operable pump for pressurizing said container, thereby pumping water from the canteen through the purifying assembly.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,819 there is disclosed a canteen especially useful in contaminated environments, which includes a hollow watertight container adapted to hold a quantity of a drinking fluid and a filter device extending into the container through an opening at the top. The filter device comprises an elongated tubular member having disposed therein an air filter for filtering the air entering the container and a water filter for filtering the drinking fluid exiting the container. In using the canteen, air is drawn into the container though the air filter and drinking fluid is drawn out from the container through the water filter by suction.
Accordingly, the need exists for a fluid delivery system that is simple in design, economical to manufacture, readily adaptable to protective equipment already in widespread use, and is manufactured in a manner and with materials which allow the integrity of the fluid delivery system to be maintained, in all inclement, chemically hostile, or combat environments.
It is an object of this invention to provide an adapter suited to couple a commercially available canteen with a commercially available gas mask that is less complicated than the prior art embodiments, and which is constructed so that liquid can be extracted therefrom while exposed to a nuclear, biological or chemical threat without forcing the user to be exposed.
It is another object 6f this invention to provide a fluid transfer device that is constructed from materials that are robust, resist corrosion, are readily available, and which enables an individual wearing a protective mask to drink from a canteen without necessitating removal of the protective mask, or worrying about the integrity of the device.
It is another object of this invention to provide a two piece adapter that is simple in design and economical to manufacture, and which allows the transfer of fluid from a canteen to a fluid delivery tube within a gas mask, for use in a potentially contaminated environment.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a fluid transfer device, which is easy to use and allows for convenient coupling between a fluid containing device and an individual wearing a protective mask.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a canteen, which can be used with a gas mask while the gas mask is being worn.